The European Week of Regions and Cities 2024 unfolded last week, underscoring the importance of collaboration between regions and cities to tackle common challenges. Co-organized by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), this year’s theme, Empowering Communities, resonates with the goals of ERTICO’s City Moonshot initiative. By fostering a global knowledge-sharing ecosystem, City Moonshot encourages cities to collaborate and exchange best practices to accelerate the transformation of urban mobility.

Sustainability was a focal point throughout the week’s discussions, with urban mobility as a key element of the broader push for decarbonization. Local and regional authorities play a pivotal role in improving air quality, reducing traffic congestion, and enhancing inclusivity in transportation. Through its global survey, City Moonshot engages cities and regions to explore solutions for mobility challenges, focusing on areas like sustainability, data sharing, and Mobility as a Service (MaaS). The initiative’s findings offer critical insights that complement the EU’s efforts to promote public-private partnerships, paving the way for more sustainable urban transport systems.

Key findings from City Moonshot Phase II: shaping the future of urban mobility

Building on the insightful findings from City Moonshot’s first report, the preliminary results from Phase II continue to highlight key trends in urban mobility. A significant portion of the interviewed cities have already taken concrete steps to address climate change, which include expanding public transportation networks, increasing bicycle lanes, and developing electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. The findings highlight a strong commitment to improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions, with many cities actively encouraging sustainable behavioural shifts, such as promoting walking, cycling, and greater use of public transport.

MaaS continues to be a transformative element of urban mobility. Over half of the surveyed cities have either integrated MaaS policies or are planning to do so, aiming to create interconnected, seamless transport systems that reduce reliance on private cars. This shift not only enhances convenience for citizens but also plays a crucial role in lowering emissions.

Additionally, City Moonshot’s findings underscore a growing focus on electromobility, with many cities adopting fully electric or hydrogen-powered municipal fleets. Low-emission zones (LEZ) are becoming more widespread, further contributing to efforts to reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality. Urban air mobility (UAM) also emerged as an area of interest, with several cities experimenting with drones and other air-based transport solutions. Although still in its early stages, UAM shows promise as a future component of urban mobility, but concerns such as safety, noise, and privacy remain key challenges to wider adoption.

These insights from City Moonshot are critical in shaping urban transport strategies and supporting cities as they transition toward greener and more efficient mobility systems.

Explore the results further here.

Through event participation and further engagement activities, City Moonshot will continue to promote innovative mobility solutions and foster collaboration between cities and regions.